Hyderabad: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
will lay the foundation for the Rs 6,000-crore NTPC-BHEL power
plant equipment manufacturing facility at Mannavaram in
Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh on September 6.
Singh will tour the state for two days beginning
September 5 after his arrival at the temple town of Tirupati,
according to Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
Reddy had announced in June that the foundation for the
NTPC-BHEL joint venture unit near Srikalahasthi town would be
laid by Singh in the first week of July but with the
Rajasthan government too throwing in the hat for the project,
the PM reportedly held back the administrative approval.
The state government allotted 750 acres of land at
Mannavaram for the project which will provide direct
employment to 6,000 persons besides indirect employment to
over 25,000 persons.
After arriving at Tirupati, Singh will hold a high-level
review meeting on the ongoing development projects and
implementation of various government schemes in the state.
He will later proceed to Tirumala for an overnight stay
and pay obeisance at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara the
following day. From there, he will fly to Srikalahasti for the
foundation laying ceremony of NTPC-BHEL unit.
The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation-stone for
an international airport in the temple town on September 6 and
address a public meeting on the occasion.
Singh stressed the need for sustaining capital
inflows, taking advantage of rapid scientific and
technological developments in the world to enable India to
leap frog in development and ensure that the country`s growth
is not constrained by scarcity of natural resources.
All these required active engagement by India in all
multilateral fora, and in the shaping of the world order,
whether in the field of trade, international finance or the
international economy, he said.
Insularity was not an option, Singh said, adding India
should play a role in the international arena in a manner that
makes a positive contribution in finding solutions to major
global challenges, whether in the field of trade or climate
change.
Referring to the recession, the prime minister said
despite the global slowdown, Indian economy was still the
second fastest growing economy in the world.
He, however, said all out efforts were needed to put
the economy back on a sustained high rate of growth if the
challenges of poverty and disease were to be effectively
addressed.
The five-day conclave of Indian envoys was inaugurated
by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna yesterday.
Bureau Report
